Life in Guangzhou

Now that all the families are back together and finishing things up at the US Embassy, it has been a wonderful time to catch up, hear stories, and celebrate milestones in the life of each child that have occured in just these few short days. Because so many Americans come to this area with their adopted children, the area is very "Westernized". Shops line the streets with just the right items to by to capture the time spent here, and there is a Starbucks right around the corner. When we walked in to get our coffee this morning we all said "it smells just like home!". The area reminds me of Savannah GA, or somewhere in New Orleans as it is by the water and has colonial like stucco buildings. I do wish I had better pictures that capture the essence of it. Although there is something very comforting and familiar about it, I am glad we had such a rich experience of Chinese culture in Wuhan. I thought I would just post some pictures of our time here...medical appointments, filling out embassy paperwork, playing and going to church. Although I have been lugging my camera around I have missed many moments I now wish I could share with you.

Christ Church

Who would have thought that I would go to church in China and that the name of it would be Christ Church (the name of my home church). We all walked in this beautiful old building wide eyed and curious. You could tell they were in the middle of renovations and that it was going to be a beautiful sacred space. We were all pleasantly surprised by their spirit filled open handed worship. There was joy on their faces, and joy in my heart. It was a momentous occasion as there is a possibility that this was the first time these little girls have been to church. It was very powerful to see everyone with their heads held high and singing out. During the welcome one of their leaders said "We are all one family in Christ"...and it took me back to the last service we had in Christ Church Rockwall as we sang the hymn, In Christ there is no East and West and in that moment I felt like a child of God, part of a very large family.

Puzzle Pieces

As most of you know putting together the history or story of an adoptive child is much like putting a puzzle together with many of the pieces missing. With very little information received or even obtainable, adoptive parents treasure what little they can get. Some families receive information about where the child was found before being placed in orphanage care, as was the case with the Zimmer family. With information from a police report we journeyed to where Faith's adoption journey ultimately began. We can weave a story in our minds of what Faith's birthmother must have been going through, the decisions she was weighing in her mind...the lack of options...the desire to care for her child. There is so much we will never know. With a deep and primal sadness, our mood matched the weather which was damp and rainy. Geared in ponchos and carrying video and cameras...we gathered near the "man made mountain" to pray. The words I remember most clearly came from Faith's daddy who was holding her, he prayed "God we pray for Faith's birthmother and we ask that as she thinks of this park and that day, we ask that you comfort her and give her peace".

We're here...finally!

Whew! What a long day of traveling. After about a three hour stay at the airport and such it is after 11:00 here and we are just getting in. To say the least we are all so very tired. But for those tracking the journey I just wanted to let you know we made it safely. We had a very special day leaving Wuhan. We stopped at the park where Faith was found and it was a very moving experience. I will post and say more later, but for now off to rest!

Last evening in Wuhan

Today was our last full day in Wuhan before we meet up with the other families in Guangzhou. There we will be finishing up the adoption process with the US Embassy. I can imagine all parties involved are ready to see the comforts and routine of home, but there is still one more step in this journey.

We visited the Hubei provincial museum today and it was absolutely fascinating. The artifacts in the museum were from an excavation of an old tomb from an ancient dynasty. It was the ultimate definition of "You can't take it with you..." well this particular king sure tried. When he died he was buried with over 21 women who were the players of a large chime system that took up an entire room. One could tell he lived a social life with an appreciation for music and entertainment. The tomb he was buried in weighed over 8 tons. One of my favorite artifacts was a beautiful carved duck that was a symbol for friendship and love. The whole experience left you with a sad feeling of this person clinging to his life, thinking he would carry on as usual in the afterlife...and there we were looking at those things hundreds of years later. Our visit ended on a high note as we watched a performance of the chimes being played on a set of an exact replica of the large structure from the tomb. It was so much fun to watch Faith as she stared in wonder. At times she would look forward wide eyed and clap to the beat. Much to our delight and surprise the players ended their concert with "Joyful, Joyful we adore thee". It was such a sweet reminder of why we don't have to cling so hard to things of this earth.

Saying goodbye

Every day I learn a little something new and today it was how to get the pictures with the post. Now that I figured it out I feel kind of silly for not figuring it out sooner. Again I can't thank you enough for your comments.

It is hard to know what words to choose when describing our morning. Our group visited the orphanage today. Faith was raised in a foster family so she did not spend much time there, but it was a very important part of her history. It was a rich experience, one that is very important to document in our minds and hearts for the children's sake but it was nonetheless, a difficult one. They only allowed us to see certain parts of it, and would not allow any pictures to be taken of any children in the home. The first room was difficult to walk into as it was the room for children with medical problems and severe special needs. We also saw the baby room where it was said that the children first go to when they arrive to the orphanage. One of the caretakers was holding Faith for a few minutes for a picture and you could see that look of concern on her face, then Kim stepped in for the picture and Faith said "Mama" and clung to her neck. Rick and Faith had bonded over "Jesus Loves Me" the night before so he carried her around much of the day. As we were leaving the orphanage director leaned in and placed his forehead against Faith's, it was time to say goodbye. It is hard not to be taken with the memory of the children you did see walking the halls there. But I am also encouraged that they reported more than half the children that come into their care go to foster homes as they feel it is better for their physical and emotional health.

After we left the orphanage, we went to the most wonderful museum of sorts. It was a bonsai tree garden and a museum of stones. There was a display of large trees that were millions of years old that had turned to stone. There was a crystal room, and in it was a crystal so large that it weighed many tons. The room was actually built around it. Although it was very hot, it was a beautiful place to visit. The museum was followed up by a lunch in the city. The whole group has been pretty adventurous at trying new things, and I am always glad when I do. The only thing I didn't try today was the fish, as I have a hard time eating a dish that is staring at me. I know, I know...what did I expect! The culture here is just wonderful. I wish I could describe the view from my hotel window. We are on the 17th floor, and as far as the eye can see in every direction you can see skyscrapers. I believe we were told that around 8 million people live in this city! Maybe it's just that I am comfortable with city life or there is a little piece of China is in my soul, all that is to say, it has been such a wonderful experience being here. We have felt safe and excited at every turn. People have been friendly and eager to help. The sights and sounds are fascinating.

On the other hand being here and being with a family during their adoption journey, I often think of the waiting families. I so desire for you to be here, to have this experience. As I know you have a piece of China in your soul, and your daughter is here. I am looking out my window at the lights of the skyscrapers as far as you can see, and praying for you tonight.

Another day in the "Faith journey" is done. This was a truly a unique day in Faith's life as it was the first day that she woke up surrounded by the smiling faces of her forever family. One thing we did learn about Faith today is that she doesn't always wake up smiling but just give her a few minutes and she is unstoppable. She has been so much fun to watch as she calls out for her brothers and sister to follow and play with her. It was a unique day for the whole Zimmer family as the spent their first full day just being a family. Even through a little home sickness of their children, discovering their new roles, a few unexpected issues and chasing after an energetic three year old...they are all doing amazingly well. I can imagine it's like running on the fumes of the adrenalin rush.

The big event of the day was going back to the notary office to sign the official paperwork and have their picture taken for their adoption documents. They had a brief interview with the officials in which one of the questions was "Why would you like to adopt..." and they quickly answered with resolve "Because she is our daughter and we love her". They all dipped various fingers and her little foot in bright red ink and placed it on the documents, and with that they were done. I was so struck by the contrast from yesterday and today. We were in the same room, with all of the same people present but Faith looked like a completely different little girl. Walking into the room she had the same concerned look that she had leaving the room just the day before. But this time, her mom held on tight and her look of concern softened as she realized she was staying with them. The same man that she would hardly step away from just yesterday was of no real concern today, as she had her daddy there to pass out M&Ms and one of her brothers to throw ball with, and her mother held her in her arms with a look that said "You Belong".

Today was not without it's challenges, but I truly believe that God has uniquely prepared them for such a time as this.

Today was an amazing day. We had discovered the "western" cafe, the day we arrived, and got to know our waitress Sarah. We promised her that we would come back and see her the next day and that they (The Zimmers) would have their little girl with them. Sure enough we went to breakfast this morning, all eight of us, and then we came back at lunch and there with us was this beautiful giggling little girl who played with her fork and knew how to use chopsticks. She had already bonded with her siblings who were begging to sit next to her and she followed her mom around the room with her eyes. She was part of the family now.

Every emotion possible was felt today by this family...words don't seem to do the job these days so I posted as many pictures as I could while trying to keep my eyes open. They are in order from the beginning of the day to the middle of the afternoon. I apologize again, but you do have to scroll all the way down the page to see them. Thanks again for following along.

Pictures!!!

Wow what an ordeal it has been to post pictures! But I finally did it! I have no idea how to arrange them on the page so all you bloggers out there feel free to pass along some tips. You have to scroll all the way to the bottom to see them but I hope you can see what a neat experience this has been. We are all in different parts of China now, and from what I can tell most of the families won't meat their children until tomorrow. So keep praying. We have had some much needed down time today. Which is how I had over four hours to figure out this picture thing. More on that later. I look forward to talking with you soon.

After a day like today, it is so hard to know where to begin! I will say that I got my first pang of home sickness when I checked my blog and for some reason I could not get my comments to open but I could see that there were 6 or so comments and it was torture! But tonight I figured it all out and it was so wonderful to read your words. Prayers have definitely been answered as the whole group is in good health and having fun. This is an amazing a welcoming city.

I'll try and give you the play by play as I remember it, what a remarkable day. We started the day at 8:00 on the tour bus with Jonathan. He is out guide and loves to talk on that microphone and give us little factoids. We stopped at the jade factory first which was very interesting. We watched a few demonstrations and then they quickly move you into the state run gift shop. One point I found interested as they say most of the men do the carving and most of the women do the polishing, because they say women have more patience! When you go into the gift shop of course they want you to buy the most expensive things. They were singing the praises of the jade bangles saying things like it has health benefits, it will bring you long life and prosperity, you pass it down for generations...then they pull out the big one...you can buy one for your adopted baby to pass through the generations. Hmmm, that almost got us, but then one of the dads with us said quietly to us of course, "If there so great then where is yours?" Great questions I thought.

At this point we are chipper with not to many signs of jet lag and we head on the bus towards the Great Wall of China! One of the neatest things about this trip has been to watch these moms and dads parent the children that have come along on the trip, all the siblings of the girls to be adopted. They have all been so adventurous and eager. As we approached the gates to the Great Wall we passed a little brick wall on the side of the road and one of the moms said hey look it's the great wall of china! And her son looking at the brick wall on the side of the road said with a tone of disappointment "That's just an old every day wall" I don't think he realized she meant the huge mountain in the distance. :) There are few words to describe what it was like to be climbing that wall. I thought of all the people that died building it, and all the people who have been there. I kept telling myself and anyone that would hear me, "We are at The Great Wall of China" as if saying it over and over will help it to sink in. We had a few adventurous souls that had the determination of warriors to make it to the top. I however was amazed at how difficult it was to climb! There are over 1,000 steps that vary in size where you can make large high strides up hill and then maybe a few short strides. Words won't do the view justice so I'll have to figure out how to post pictures. (still having some issues with that...)

We had lunch at the "Friendship Store" and actually saw a large America World group. We were all pretty hot and tired by that point and it was great to sit down and have a meal together. They serve it family style which which was fun. It was interesting to try and figure out what we were eating. We also took a stroll through "The Sacred Way" which is the path leading up to the Ming Dynasty tombs. It was a peaceful place with willow trees and statues. The kids had fun taking pictures in front of the huge warrior statues and we discovered that one of the signs read "please do not climb on the very old Chinese relics" after we had already taken a few pictures of one of the kiddos on the camels back. Oops. We had a little fun with that of course.

At this point we were weary travelers but we had a nice drive back into the city. The jet lag is sinking in and everyone looks a little tired. Our next big event after stopping by a carpet factory and the bank, was the Kung Fu show. Which was not at ll like what I thought it would be! It was an amazing ballet of sorts with a beautiful story line about a little boy whose mother takes him to a Buddhist monastery were he can train to become a warrior monk, skilled in Kung Fu. This young man goes through many trials of training and being tempted by earthy things. After putting aside his earthy desires he reaches an "enlightened" stage. The artistry was amazing. The opening scene was particularly poignant as the young mother and son arrive at the monastery and they circle around each other and run back into each others arms as they try and say good bye, and just as the little boy is distracted with his new playmates the mother quickly leaves the stage leaving his pack behind. The boy realizes she is gone and he tries to look for her. One of the other young boys picks up his red pack and hands it to him and he looks back forlorn as they walk into the monastery. This scene evoked so much emotion in our group. More than I ever could have realized. A few minutes in the show during another more serene scene the little trouper sitting next to his mom who was sitting next to me started to cry. He said "It was just so sad when she left". He then put his head in his mom's lap to be comforted. Later on another one of the moms brought up that same scene and said, that is how my daughter is going to feel. Not only when she leaves that orphanage, but that experience of being left is deep inside of her. All of these families will experience the deep river of emotion that was portrayed in that scene. Being with them today, I know they are prepared.

After that very emotional experience we walked in the rain to the Peking duck restaurant just a block or so away. You should have seen us at this point. We sat in the room with two large round tables, no one saying a word. We looked at the dishes on the table, most of it unrecognizable. We giggled deliriously as they brought out the duck, head and all. Which was delicious by the way. Zombie like we all went back to the hotel. On everyone's minds...tomorrow is the day I will meet my daughter.

This experience has likened that of when I traveled to the hospital where my sister was having their first child. We all wondered, what will she really look like and what will it feel like to hold her for the first time?...that last moment before she comes into the world and changes your life forever. Well, their little girls are already in the world, but indeed their lives will never be the same. This experience is not mine to have, but it has been such a gift to share in this journey.

I'm here!

Well it is Friday evening here, which is very strange to think that everyone is just getting their Friday started there! I am so glad to have finally arrived. It was a smooth flight and I had the exit row which was delightful. It feels like I have not slept in two days but I did catch a few cat naps on the plane. This is such an exciting city it's been pretty easy to stay awake. The first thing I noticed when we landed was the thick gray fog that hovers over the city. Then I noticed how beautifully landscaped everything is and how many tall buildings there are. Not to mention there are no rules that apply to anyones driving. All that to say it has been a wide awake experience so far!

I arrived at the airport about 15 minutes before one of the families. We all rode to the hotel together. We are staying at a Howard Johnson that looks like The Ritz, very regal and relaxing. I'll post more pictures hopefully tomorrow. It has been wonderful to walk around the city with Joe and Julie. It is hard to believe that we are here and in a few days they will all be meeting their children for the first time!

I will hopefully be able to write a bit more later but right now I feel like I am in a sleepy fog so more to come!

Home By Another Way

Georgia preacher Barbara Brown Taylor has a book of sermons that is titled Home By Another Way. It is a favorite of mine because she is a masterful story teller and has an amazing way of bringing the biblical text to life. The sermon which the title of the book was based on beautifully tells the story of the wise men leaving their gifts with baby Jesus and then going home by another way.

This Thursday I will be leaving for China to travel with four families who will be bringing their children home by another way indeed. This "other way" does not involve 9 months of waiting and a nervous trip to the hospital but rather over 18 months of waiting and a nervous plane ride from West to East to hold their child in their arms for the first time. They have held the picture of her in their hands for months and it is now time for her to take her place in their family, as she has lived in their dreams and in their hearts for so long.

A dear person from our church asked how she could pray for me specifically for the next two weeks. I would say my response to her would be my same request to anyone who might follow this blog and it is twofold:

It is my prayer that culture shock and the fear of the unknown don't prohibit me from being fully present to each moment as I take in all the new sights, sounds and smells of a different culture. Often times culture shock keeps us from enjoying the rich beauty of a new experience because our senses are so overloaded with something that seems unfamiliar to us. It is certainly my prayer that I hold "home" in my heart while being totally alive to every moment.

My second prayer is for the precious children. The families have had many months to prepare their hearts and homes for the children they will be adopting. I imagine that they have spoken her name a dozen times, they have imagined her personality and they have stood in the rooms they have prepared for her and imagined her playing there...she will finally be home. Prayers are needed however because she will be leaving the only home she has ever known and all the sights and smells and sounds she has ever experienced will no longer surround her. She too will experience culture shock and fear the unknown. She will be going home by another way. Thanks for your prayers as you follow along.